Now, cricket lovers celebrate with 'Sachin chalisa'

Agra: A packed audience made up of Sachin Tendulkar fans and local sportspersons joined a popular bhajan singer at Eklavya Stadium here to recite the 'Sachin chalisa' - otherwise a devotional genre, but in this case dedicated to the cricket maestro!

They were celebrating his 100th century, of course.

The musical programme was formally opened Sunday by the city's additional district magistrate Arun Prakash and attended by a large number of cricketers and other sportspersons.

Pandit Manish Sharma, the singer, started with Sachin kahani - "Sachin ne kar diya aisa kaam, saare jag mein kar diya naam."

This was followed by the Sachin chalisa - a la Hanuman Chalisa. "Master blaster Tenduliya little master kahlaye; champion, genius, cricket god kahlaye: ek shatak ki kya, usne shatakon ka shatak diya banaye."

The programme ended with distribution of sweets as prasad. (IANS)